How We Keep Our Photography Rates So Reasonable

August 16th, 2010 by Beth Baynum | Share Blog

I was speaking recently with Zak Kunish, an event planner we’ve long wanted to work with (because he’s also a cool and fabulous person), about our first job together.    We were reviewing our rates, and he said, “Is that all?  How do you guys make any money?”  It’s a fair question and it got me wondering how many other people we work with think the same thing.

Some people may interpret – wrongly – that a reasonable rate, or a rate they perceive as low, as a reflection of the quality of our photographers talent, or of our service.  Concerned that this may be Zak’s impression, I took the opportunity to explain how we’re able to keep our rates so reasonable.  His interest in my response prompts me to share this with our blog readers.

As I explained to Zak, the photographers who work with us are true artists.  They care about the craft of photography and work hard to perfect their skills and knowledge.  They love shooting, and that’s pretty much all they want to do.  As such, they are not always good business people.

In concentrating on their art, these photographers usually haven’t developed the business acumen required to market themselves and their work in today’s competitive environment.  Nor do they enjoy doing the follow-up that’s necessary after each shoot: processing the images, editing them to properly tell the story, adjusting the light levels and cropping where needed.  They just want to shoot!

That’s why these fine photographers choose to work with us, and why we are an excellent fit for them.  They’re able to shoot a job and give their full concentration to doing their best work in the moment.  They love what they do, and this shows in their photos.   After the event or headshot session, their images are turned over to us for processing, and they’re free to move on to the next job.

In exchange for this artistic freedom, our photographers give us their exceptional skills at a much lower rate than they would charge in the marketplace.  And we’re able to pass along these savings to our clients.

Our business model is one that truly benefits our photographers and our clients.  Our photographers get steady work that allows them to practice their craft and make a good living.  Our clients get the advantage of talented, experienced photographers at very reasonable rates, backed by our attentive client service before and after every job.  And we get the pleasure of bringing it all together and making it happen.